Education

Admissions

U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

State Bar of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas

Dan’s experience spans the full range of civil trial and appellate litigation, focusing on complex commercial disputes, internal governance controversies, non-compete cases, and trade secret litigation. He joined Schiffer Hicks Johnson in 2019 after 10 years as judge of the 269th District Court of Harris County, Texas.

During his time on the bench, Dan tried nearly 300 cases and resolved more than 15,000 matters. Known for his level-headed, analytical approach to the law, he built a strong reputation as an efficient and ethical adjudicator. In 2017, after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Harris County Jury Assembly Building, Dan led the effort to redesign and restore the system for summoning, welcoming, and assigning juries for 85 trial courts in Harris County.

Before his appointment to the court, Dan worked as a trial lawyer in the Houston office of Vinson & Elkins. In this capacity, he represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases—including commercial, construction, corporate governance, employment, energy, maritime, mass tort, non-compete personal injury, products liability, securities fraud, technology, and trade secret litigation. He has also prosecuted criminal cases and represented indigent defendants challenging their sentences.

Following law school, Dan clerked for U.S. District Judge Sim Lake of the Southern District of Texas.

Dan offers that rare combination of experience, professionalism, and a practical eye for which fights to pick and which to let go.

Notable Experience

Certified in Civil Jurisprudence by the Texas College for Judicial Studies (2017)

Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (2016)